Picturethinking is thinking in a multidimensional way, using the possibilities of imagination. Picturethinking is a natural talent we all have, but not everybody is good at it. It is possible to develop this natural talent. Read, practice and think with me.

Friday, January 26, 2007

Infinite variations

Do you believe that you cannot think in pictures, but want to learn: start reading poetry. The words in a poem evoke a lot of pictures. Not only the pictures of the writer, also your own! Poems can be seen, tasted and heard. You can jump in with all your senses. To inspire you an English poem from the Dutch poet Leo Vroman, who lives in the USA.

A psalm for Albert Einstein

System! If You must surrenderto Your own lust for rolling dicewhy does nothing You createin the splendor of our Fateever happen twice?

No tottering glass can almost falland fall to break into the samepieces twice – who can recallone shard by a previous name?

No child is ever steered againinto the same last nightand none of us can claim the right to live in vain.

If Thou throwst any dice at allThou must have shaped it like a balland feast upon its thunderof infinite variations,

Thy bowling ballall beasts and nationsmust fall under.

This poem is a treat. Like good chocolat. Taste a piece and wait what happens. Infinite variations. I especially like the dice, shaped like a ball.

1 comment:

Thank you for also posting your blogs in English :-) My native language is Dutch, but somehow my understanding of it always stayed somewhat mechanical, while my understanding of English is fully alive!; e.g.: The Dutch poem by Vroman does not evoke any feelings worth mentioning, but the English poem you posted here on the other hand feels to me indeed like a real treat, thank you!(somehow this program seems to know my first name, I hope it picked the right identity :-))